GAINESVILLE, Fla. — She was an 8-year-old during the summer of 2012, but by that time,
Kayla DiCello was already a talented young gymnast with a dreamy imagination.
While on a family vacation, DiCello recalls watching the gold-winning U.S. Olympic Team of Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber – forever known as the Fierce Five in the annals of Olympic glory – capture worldwide attention.
DiCello is now 19 and ready to chase another dream after a spectacular freshman season with the Gators gymnastics team. DiCello announced Thursday that she is taking a year off from college competition to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team that will represent America in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
"That would be really incredible,'' DiCello said. "It would mean a lot to me because, first, this decision was really hard, and because I've always dreamed of going to the Olympics. I think it would just show my hard work is paying off."
DiCello capped her freshman season for the Gators earlier this month at the NCAA Championships, where she earned two more All-America honors to bring her season total to five. DiCello was the all-around champion at the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional with the nation's top total in regional competition (39.80) and dominated the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week award, named the league's top newcomer for the final six weeks of the regular season.
DiCello grew up in Boyds, Md., a four-time U.S. National Team member, and arrived at UF last summer after competing in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Tampa. She made the short drive to Gainesville to enroll at UF afterward.
The experience opened her eyes to a different world than she had known.
"I think the fans, the team, the whole experience,'' she said. "I really enjoy doing college gymnastics. It's so fun and definitely a lot different than anything I've ever done. It was a very difficult decision. I kept going back and forth on whether I would stay here and try or go home and try.
"Eventually, I think it would be best to go home and train. I'm definitely coming back."
Still, after serving as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic Team that competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – the alternates training separately from the team due to COVID-19 restrictions and DiCello did not compete – DiCello's Olympic dreams did not fade despite DiCello heading off to college.
She did return to Japan in fall of 2021 to represent the U.S. in the World Championships. Two Gators earned all-around medals in that competition –
Leanne Wong (silver) and DiCello (bronze).
"I've never shut the door,'' she said. "It's always been a thought somewhere in the back of my mind. As the season started to come to an end, it kind of came forward a little bit, and that's when I started really deciding on what I wanted to do.
"I want to be on the
actual team. I'll take a year off so I can train and achieve that goal and come back. And I know that this is probably the year to do it since I've had a year of college. I just think right now is the best time to do it."
Once the spring semester ends, DiCello plans to return home and take summer classes online and resume her elite training under Coach Kelli Hill, the former U.S. Olympic Team head coach who operates the gym in Maryland where DiCello trained growing up. DiCello also has a home gym that allows her to focus on the mission.
As DiCello takes a leave from the Gators, she said her training at UF provides confidence in her quest to make the Olympic Team.
DiCello was named SEC Freshman of the Year, scored a perfect 10 on uneven bars twice, and earned a share of second place at the SEC meet on both beam and floor with marks of 9.95.
DiCello often shined brightest on the biggest stages.
"It definitely gives me a new perspective,'' she said. "I mean, in college, you don't train a lot of numbers, and I think that is something that can be very helpful when I go back [to elite], to not overdo it. I competed every weekend, and I didn't do too much in the gym, and I was perfectly fine. It also gave me a good idea of what I need to do to keep my body together and in one piece and prevent injuries."
DiCello is ready for the next challenge on her road to the Olympics, the first stop likely the U.S. Classic in Chicago in early August.
And, of course, a trip she hopes ends in Paris with a dreamy finish.
"My trip to Tokyo wasn't as exciting as anyone might imagine because we were in the middle of COVID,'' she said. "I think I just want to be able to make it and have a better Olympic experience and time while I was there."
